The 49ers are where the Raiders were three years ago – drastically undermanned, in the midst of unrelenting losing, and with Fort Knox-like money under the salary cap. Obviously, the 10-2 Raiders have made the right moves in hiring coach Jack Del Rio, drafting players like Derek Carr and Amari Cooper, and acquiring players like …

The 49ers don’t sign big names in free agency? False. In the past two years, they’ve signed a slam-dunk, first-ballot Hall of Fame wide receiver, a two-time 1,000-yard running back and a three-time Pro Bowl cornerback. …

Why did wide receiver Anquan Boldin sign with the 49ers today more than a week before the start of free agency? For starters, after he was traded from the Ravens a year ago, he didn’t want to uproot his wife and two sons by playing for his third team in the past three seasons. …

It remains to be seen if Colin Kaepernick will land the lucrative contract extension he covets in the coming months, but the 49ers quarterback received some excellent offseason news today: He’ll have Anquan Boldin back in 2014 after the wideout signed a two-year contract. …

Asked in December about re-signing ultra-reliable, free-agent-to-be placekicker Phil Dawson, Jim Harbaugh memorably bellowed: “Pay the man!” Based on two transactions today, it appears Dawson could get paid a bit more than $2.25 million – his 2013 salary – in 2014. …

Hard-hitting 49ers safety Donte Whitner might be as aggressive on social media as he is on the field. Today, Whitner, a pending free agent with 669 career tackles and 11,704 tweets (at press time) took to Twitter to express his displeasure with this NFL.com story. …